1.2 MW DeltaStream Tidal Power Turbines to be Tested in Wales

It’s safe to say that tidal, wave, and ocean power (all different but similar in that they generate power from moving ocean water) have more competing designs than other methods of generating electricity renewably. TreeHugger has covered most of these before, but here’s yet another contender: The DeltaStream from Welsh company Tidal Energy Limited. While it’s not a radical departure from existing technologies, it does have some interesting features which set it apart:

3 Turbines Connected on Triangular FrameEach DeltaStream unit, rated at 1.2 MW, consists of three turbines mounted on a 30 meter wide triangular frame weighing some 250 tonnes. These frames are designed to require no mounting on the sea floor, instead, taking advantage of the unit’s low center of gravity, they can simply be rested in position. Though capable of being deployed at a variety of water depths, Tidal Energy says depths of at least 20 meters are ideal.

Fully Operational by 2010Tests of the DeltaStream will take place in Ramsey Sound off Pembrokeshire, Wales, with one of the units becoming fully operational in 2010. At that time the unit will be able to generate enough electricity for about 1,000 homes, according to Tidal Energy.

According to some estimates, the UK’s tidal power potential is somewhere between 5-15 GW of power: Potentially up to 25% of current demand.